Question: Three flower beds overlap as shown. Bed A has 500 plants, bed B has 450 plants, and bed C has 350 plants. Beds A and B share 50 plants, while beds A and C share 100. What is the total number of plants? [asy] /* AMC8 1999 #9 Problem */ draw((0,0)--(3,0)--(3,1)--(0,1)--cycle); draw(circle((.15,0),.5)); draw(circle((3,-0.25),.65)); label("C", (.2,-0.25)); label("B", (3.25, -0.25)); label("A", (1.5, 0.45)); [/asy]
Bed $A$ has 350 plants it doesn't share with $B$ or $C$. Bed $B$ has 400 plants it doesn't share with $A$ or $C$. And $C$ has 250 it doesn't share with $A$ or $B$. The total is $350+400+250+50+100=\boxed{1150}$ plants. [asy] /* AMC8 1999 #9 Solution */ draw((0,0)--(3,0)--(3,1)--(0,1)--cycle); draw(circle((.15,0),.5)); draw(circle((3,-0.25),.65)); label(scale(0.75)*"C", (.38,-0.25)); label(scale(0.75)*"B", (3.25, -0.25)); label(scale(0.75)*"A", (1.5, 0.45)); label(scale(0.75)*"250", (0,0), S); label(scale(0.75)*"400", (2.75, -0.3)); label(scale(0.75)*"350", (1.5, 0.2)); [/asy]